CLEVELAND, Ohio--The appearance of the Fortunagracht on the lakefront this week did not spark the commotion and celebration of last month, when the Dutch ship heralded the start of international container shipping on the Great Lakes.

Soon after the 12,500-ton vessel docked in Cleveland Harbor on Monday night, longshoremen and seamen went quietly to work unloading cargo, unwatched by cameras or newspaper reporters. But executives of the Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority smiled just as brightly.

One trip does not blaze a trail in the shipping industry. But a second voyage can win believers.

"Just getting sails back and forth shows the world it's reliable," said port president Will Friedman. "There's nothing more important in the shipping industry than that."

Hoping to stoke Ohio's export economy, the port authority is pioneering regularly scheduled container shipping between the Great Lakes and Northern Europe. It forged a two-year agreement with the Amsterdam-based Spliethoff Group to charter vessels for regular cargo runs between Cleveland and European ports via the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

The Fortunagracht arrived in Cleveland Harbor at about 8 p.m. Monday after sailing 4,000 miles from Antwerp, Belgium. It was laden with European imports and one peculiar piece of cargo.

The ship carried a 50-foot yacht destined for waters unknown.

"We think yachts will probably be a part of the mix on a regular basis," Friedman said. "Spliethoff specializes in moving yachts."

Wednesday afternoon, longshoremen were using lifts and cranes to load the ship with exports: heavy machinery, construction equipment, and dozens of red steel shipping containers filled with an array of finished goods.

The Fortunagratch, or "Lucky Canal," was expected to sail off Wednesday night carrying about the same amount of cargo it left with on its maiden voyage, meaning the ship was half full. Friedman expressed satisfaction.

The shipping industry takes a while to adopt a new route, he said.

"Every day we're getting more and more inquiries. We're building up bookings," Friedman said.

Co-work Tremont hopes to advance the work-a-day vibe in a neighborhood known for nightlife

People know to find Cowork Tremont from the Mexican restaurant asleep below it. Barrio, like much of the neighborhood, doesn't open until 4 p.m. for happy hour.

Joe Kneale and Sorin Bica are introducing office hours to Literary Road near Professor Avenue, and they expect others to join them in the workday routine.

Earlier this month, the young entrepreneurs quietly opened Cowork Tremont, adding low-cost, shared office space to a neighborhood of restaurants and art galleries. That, and the chance to be part of a mission.

"We really want to promote the co-working idea in Cleveland," Kneale said. "It's the right way to help people expand what they are doing with a small business."

The pair came upon that conclusion from personal experience.

Kneale and Bica met at Fathom, an online marketing firm in Valley View where Kneale is a director of integrated marketing. Bica, a software project manager, left last summer to launch his own company and soon realized one of the forces popularizing co-working.

"It gets really lonely working out of your basement," he said.

Entrepreneurs are not the only folks looking for cheap office space these days. Downsizing companies have sent staff home to telecommute. Many independent salespeople and consultants need a place besides Panera to meet clients.

In Northeast Ohio, co-working choices are largely limited to business accelerators like Shaker LaunchHouse and spare rooms at the local chamber of commerce. Bica and Kneale hope to team up with one of the few other private co-work providers in the region, the Cube in Cleveland Heights and Solon, to offer shared memberships.

They say Tremont offers great potential as a business neighborhood, citing easy highway access, walkability and urban charms.

To those features, they are adding amenities they think will attract rootless workers:

Young professionals in Greater Cleveland are invited to greet spring and one another among the flora and fauna of Costa Rica next week.

Engage! Cleveland, a group devoted to engaging young professionals in the civic and business community, is holding its annual Spring Mix at the Cleveland Botanical Garden in University Circle.

The networking mixer runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, at the garden complex, 11030 East Boulevard, across from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Register and learn more at engagecleveland.com.

Robert L. Smith covers economic development for The Plain Dealer. Follow him on Twitter @rlsmithpd.

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